The eartquake of Xàtiva 1748

AbouttheearthquakeinXàtivaonMarch the 23th of 1748. We haveconsultedthemunicipal archivedocumentationofthe Collegiate ofXàtivathatprovides information aboutthedevastation, the destructionand theconsequencescausedbytheearthquakeand aboutthe available tools tocarryoutthesubsequentrestoration.

Xàtiva en 1563

Aftertheearthquake onMarch the 23ththeseismic activityremains for several days. Immediately following theearthquake onMarch the 23th,Xàtivapopulationleft thecityand settledinbarracks.At thesametimethe congregationofSantaClaraleftherconventand settledinthe conventofSanFranciscodue toitsdilapidated statein whichthey hadlefttheroomsofthePoor Clares. Moreover, theConvent of Mercedwasabandonedbecauseit wasbadlydamagedbythe earthquake.

Facing thisadversity,thecity governmentquickly responded withaseries of measurestoremedy the effects ofthe disaster. Itorderedareportonthestatusofpublic and private buildings, about thecollapseof theruinsandthe reformofthedamageorreparation. Orderswere alsogivenfor thecontinuity ofsupplyandsecuritywithin thecitybecausemanyresidentshadestablishedin thefield. Tocarry outthepreparation ofthestatement of claimreferred, thecity governmentappealedboththemunicipalclerksandthe workersof thevillage achieving citizen’s participationintherepair works. The professional associations were very important for the city.

Moreover, other citizenstook part intherecovery, repairing their own damages, sothegovernment,taking advantage of thefall of thetowerofthe“HouseoftheCity” (the ancient Town Hall),providedgraveland dirt.

Notonlywasaconcernbylocal institutions,butalsothegoverning bodiesofthe Kingdomwere interestedinthe situationofthe affected areas.Thus,theGeneral Quartermasterof the Kingdom, theMarquis ofMalespina, visited theseareasand asked fora listofdamagestochurches, monasteryandotherpublic and private buildings. Thisrelationship grewfrom the22nd of May whentheearthquakestopped. It would be too longto analyze eachdamagetopublic buildingssowe just refer totheworkofMr. Sarthou, a historical writer.The reportnames thefollowingbuildings:Collegiata, SantPere, SantJoan, SantaTecla, SantaClara, Consolación, Convent ofCarmen, San Onofre, Conventof Trinidad, Convent ofMerced, Conventof the Capuchins, St.AugustineSantoDomingo,Hospital deSanMiguel, Casa de laCiudad, Hospital, Lonja, Almudín, Convento deSanFrancisco, Houseof the poor. Naturally,thecastlewas affected,butthere’s no referenceabout it becauseit was underkingly jurisdiction andnot under the city management, so those visual inspectorsdidn’t waste timein assessingdamages.

1. Damagescausedby theearthquake andmeasurestaken

According to Mr. Sarthou’s book “EarthquakeXátiva, 1748”:“On the morning ofMarch the 23rd, XàtivaMayormet allthemaster masonsof thecitytodistribute thembydistrictand to make inspections, propping, reports, etc...on all streetsand buildings. Even if inXativa there hadn’t been damages to people, in the streetsthere wereeavesroof pieces, crackedhouses which were propped and also destroyed because they threatened to fall down.

  • It was noticedthatthe earthquakecontinuedwith lessforce on the 25th, the 26th and the 28th of Apriland in those days they were intensifiedrecognitionworksand preventive measures. For example: The GateTower of SanFrancisco, suffered damage to itstopand so thepassage through thedoor was closed.
  • On the day 28thstrongtremorscontinued making ineffective the actions takenandrequiringnewmeasures such as demolition, shoringand worksinpublic andprivatebuildings. Among them, the room of the conventofSanMiguel, ConventofMerced, whichmain wall was onthestreet,threatenedimminentruinandhad tobe underpinnedby 3masons, inthe samewayof othermonasteriesin thecity.
  • On the day 29th, as earthquakes did not stop, themilitary engineerJuanBautistaTrench, lieutenantcolonelofthe royal armies, came torecognize the area with other expertise people andto make sureall thetemples, monasteries, public buildings and officesin this city andto determinehow to act.He, together withperpetualCouncilmanD.JosephAntonioCebriánand architectsandmaster masonsperformedavisual inspectionwhichresulted:


•Hospital: No significant damage. Cover theleakyroof, restorewhat fell in thetheater andstrengthenthebalconiesof thecorridorsto prevent accidentswhencomedies are acted.

Hospital

•Convento de la Consolación:

Onthe wallshowing onthegardenwasagreedto build ahigher wall. Thenovitiate will belifted up andthe cracks will be repaired.

•Parroquia deSantaTecla, issodamaged that itnot allowed the entrytobelievers; itwill be replacedthe dome. The chapelsin front oftheSquarewill bedemolished.

……….

•CityHouse: Thetowerwasinbad conditions; remember to get offtheweight of the roof, woodframeanddemolishtheir4 walls.

•Casa aduana de las Mercaderías: Thepartlooks atthePlazadel Peso,thefaçade included,must berebuilt.

•Almudín: It is necessary to change the

  • On the 2ndof May,thereportextended thereviewtomanyother buildings, including the Conventof theMerced noticingthat:

-Thechurchwasinsafe condition.

-The entrance tothepassagewayup tothewindowoverlookingtheMoreramust be demolishedandrebuildedsolidly.

-Thenovitiateroof musttorn down using theexistingtimber.

- Breakingupthewall on the south, prioryunderpinningthe cells andtheircovers.

  • Onday the 4ththe“Corregidor” (a sort of magistrate)orderedthatwas made knowntoaffectedhomeowners, as well asthose responsible forConvent de la ConsolaciónofSantaTecla, who proceeded tofixwhat had been agreed regardingshoring, demolition and repair”.

Notes to the documentindicatethat theearthquake hadastrong influencethroughout thecity, havingnohomewithoutdamage, due topoorconstructionandworstmaterialsthathad beenrebuiltafter thesiege of Xàtivaby Felipe the 5th and because of the subsequentfirein thecity. So itwasnotinoptimal conditionsto overcomeastrongearthquake.Alsothegovernorandgeneral captainof the KingdomofValenciaandMurcia, the DukeofCaylus, asked for areportofdamageindifferentpopulationsofXàtivagovernancewhich was given back to him specifyingthedamages and victims. According todocumentationthere were 36dead and34seriously injured peoplebeingMontesa, Torrente, CorberaEnguerathe most affectedtowns.

On the other hand, the earthquakesof1748raisedan issuebetweenthecityand the conventofSantaClara.The nunsclaimedthatthe state in whichtheconvent washadbeenmade impossibletheirstaythere, so wantedto gotoValencia(at first they had been establishedinthe gardenof the conventofSanFrancisco). But the city,insteadbelieved thatthedamagehad notbeen serious. Higher bodiesastheArchbishopofValencia, astheDuc deCaylus, general governor, according to Mr.Sarthou, tookpartInthisissue.The problemwasthatthe communityofClarissewanted thecitytook the responsibility forthe costs incurred intherepairofthedamages, what thecitydid not agreebecause theyhad to paythe rehabilitation ofallpublic buildings. The disputelasted untilthe endof1748beingthecommunity of Clare who paidtheir own worksselling an orchard.

  1. Conclusions.

Facing thiscatastrophe,it is noticedconcernbygovernmentbodiestosolvetheproblemsposed bytheearthquakesoefforts were unified, enlisting the help ofthe wholesociety.EventheChurchthat actedcomfortingthespirits of thebelievers.

In conclusion, we cansaythattheearthquakeand itsdevastationcausedall sortsof activities anddemonstrations in theeighteenthcenturysociety of Xàtiva. Effortstorepairthedamagesweretwofold. On one side, thecitygovernment, representativeof the community,acteddecisivelyin the rehabilitationof physical damage, a task whichinvolved alltorecovertheculturalheritage and that reachesourdays.On the other hand, theChurch, the repositoryofthe divine, organizednumerousprocessionsandmassesto repairthespiritualdamagecausedbyearthquakes.

Religious ceremonieswereverywellreceivedbypeople. Both the political and religious institutions produced a joint effort by the entire society to solve the catastrophe.

Bibliography

  • Alonso i Llorca, Joan y Boluda i Perucho, Alfred. “Runes i Rogativas: Els terratrèmols del 1748 a Xàtiva”. Papers de la Costera, nº 7-8. Associació d´Amics de la Costera, 1992. Town Hall of Xàtiva.
  • Sarthou Carreres, Carlos, “Los terremotos de 1748: Un capítulo para la historia de Xàtiva”. Folletín “El Progreso”
  • Our thanksto theTown Hall ofXàtiva, especially thedirectorofmunicipal

archives of Xàtiva Mr. Isaïes Blesa Duet.